Union has ‘huge concern’ at fall in cattle numbers

THE results of the Scottish Government’s December agricultural survey show that, while winter cereal plantings increased, silage production last year was down.

In the livestock sector, there were rises in sheep, pigs and poultry, but cattle numbers fell to their lowest since the 1950s.

The chief statistician for the Scottish Government released the latest results from the December agricultural survey last Thursday March 16.

The area of winter-sown crops in December 2016 was up on last December at 196,600 hectares, with 2,400 hectares more oilseed rape, 2,300 hectares more wheat, 700 hectares more oats and 400 hectares more barley.

Cattle numbers fell 1.4 per cent, to 1.71 million. There was a slight decrease in both beef cattle (down 1.2 per cent) and dairy cattle (0.6 per cent).

December sheep numbers increased 1.7 per cent to 5.04 million. Pig numbers continued to rise, with an 11 per cent increase to 368,000, driven by an increase in the number of fattening pigs. In the poultry sector, a 19 per cent increase in the number of broilers resulted in a seven per cent increase in the total to 14.4 million.

Results for commercial farms only also show that the amount of grass silage produced on in 2016 saw a seven per cent fall, alongside reductions in hay and arable silage. There were an estimated 41,000 tractors, 3,800 combine harvesters and 956 milking parlours.

NFU Scotland vice-president Martin Kennedy, a livestock farmer from Highland Perthshire, said: ‘The figures suggest that an increase in sheep numbers would be expected as a result of a better lambing in comparison to the previous year.

‘We need to drill down and see which proportion of the increase is attributed to breeding stock and which is because of a higher carry- over of lambs into the winter. The beef cattle numbers, however, are a huge concern and highlight the difficultly in maintaining numbers. It shows the need for continued targeted support either directly or indirectly to the largest part of our industry.’

NFU Scotland’s crops committee chairman Ian Sands, who farms near Perth, added: ‘A big factor in the surge in the winter cropping area was the outstanding weather window we enjoyed post-harvest. That spell was some of the best autumn planting conditions that we have had for a few years.’

The union’s crops policy manager Peter Loggie said: ‘No surprises here. Winter crop plantings are closely linked with planting conditions in the autumn. The conditions in autumn 2016 were much better than in 2015 so winter plantings are up.’

And the union’s pigs and poultry policy manager, Penny Johnston, said: ‘Good to see increases in both pigs and poultry although this needs to be placed in the context that both the broiler and pig industries have had major setbacks in recent history and these numbers represent signs of welcome recovery rather than expansion.’